Fountain brush pen with reciprocal pin feed



June 17, 1952 woNG-GIM woo FOUNTAIN BRUSH PEN WITH RECIPROCAL PIN FEED Filed oct. 2. 194e INVENTOR. WOA/6 67M /oo A TT'OR/VEY.

Patented `une 17, 1952 FOUNTAIN BRUSH PEN WITH RECIPROCAL PIN FEED Wong' Gim Woo, San Francisco, Calif.

' Application October 2, 1946, Serial No. 700,624

Claims.

This invention relates toa fountain brush pen with reciprocal pin Yfeed and more particularly relates to a type of fountain brush for writing or printing characters in the manner employed in script of Chinese writings.

As is known, forl many centuries the writing of the Chinese language has been expressed in characters having certain understood meanings. Formation of these characters is an art which has been best accomplished from times of antiquity by use of a brush of line soft hairl adjusted so that the tip or point, when immersed in the writing fluid, will form a relatively fine point which may be spread by veryslight pressure, so that fine lines as well as broad lines may be made with equal celerity and exactness. However, the brush point has required frequent replenishing of the writing fluid on the brush.

It is an object of this invention to provide a fountain brush pen in which a brush member is mounted at the writing end thereof in the place of the pen point of the conventional fountain pen.

Another object is to provide a fountain brush pen in which a brush member for writing is mounted in a feed unit which may be inserted into and removed from the brush barrel.

A further object is to provide a fountain brush pen having a feed mechanism to a brush member for positively accelerating a supply of writing fluid to the brush.`

Other objects of the invention are to provide a fountain brush pen of improved structure which is efficient in operation, rugged in its parts, economical in manufacture, and generally to improve on devices of the fountain brush pen type.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, all of which will be more fully explained as this specification proceeds, one form in which the invention may be exemplified is set forth in the description herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it being understood that changes may be made in materials, size, shape, degree and minor details without departing from thespirit of the invention which is defined by the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a broken longitudinal section of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a lateral transverse section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3,4, 5, and 6 are perspective views of detailed parts of apparatus of Fig. 1. Y

Referring to the drawings in which like reference characters indicate corresponding parts in the several views in the drawings, I0 indicates a hollow elongated barrel member whichv may be in general design and structure similar to the barrel of a conventional fountain pen. A cap II is provided for the barrel which, when the brush is being used, may be snugly mounted on the upper end of the barrel, and, when the brush is not in use, may be mounted over the brush end of .the device to prevent evaporation of the writing fiuid and the stifiening of the brush. Any suitable type of well-known clip I2 may be attached to the cap by which the fountain brush pen may be gripped in a pocket of the user to prevent loss. The cap and barrel are each suitably threaded at I3 whereby the cap may be securely mounted at the brush end of the barrel.

One end of the barrel, which-may be referred to as the top end, is permanently closed as at I4, and the opposite, or lower, end has an opening I6 in which is mounted a removable frictionally-held coaxial tubular nipple I5, which may be slid by pressure into the opening I6 to provide a terminal end portion of the barrel. Within the nipple I5 there is provided a tubular opening I'I which is tapered inwardly from its lower end toward its upper end, and within which there is inserted and frictionally held a feed means and brush pen unit, generally indicated I8. The feed means and brush unit comprise a sleeve casing I9, which is originally formed as a hollow truncated cone having cuts upwardly from its base portion providing a divided skirt of four somewhat triangular sections, Illa, b, c, and d, which are bent inwardly at the peak of the triangles until the triangles forml longitudinal slots 20 between their adjacent edges, separating the sections I9a, b, c, and d, and providing openings in the side wall and a reduced opening at the base of the sleeve casing of smaller maximum diameter than the diameter of the casing at the upper end of the slots. Thus, the sleeve casing I9 comprises a pair of hollow oppositely disposed frusto-conical portions connected at their common base line and conically tapered therefrom towards the opposite open ends thereof, the greatest diameter being at said common base line.

Before the sections of the divided skirt of the conical sleeve are formed inwardly, there is inserted within the'conical sleeve from its lower open end a feed means mechanism and a brush pen.

The feed means mechanism also includes a frame 2I preferably of a thin strip of metal bent upon itself somewhat similar in vertical sections to the form of a rectangle, its relatively narrow side pieces 22 being relatively inclined convergingly from bottom to top so as to t snugly within the taper of the upper portion of the frustoconical sleeve I9. At the lower end of the frame there is a tubular extension 23 having perforations 24 and at its opposite or upper end there is a disc 25 centrally perforated as at 26. The side pieces 22 being relatively narrow provide an open frame which permits flow therepast of the writing fluid, whereas the disc 25 centers the side pieces and frame axially within the frusto-conical casing I9.

The fibers of a. brush 21 are tightly secured around the tubular extension by a silk or thread 28 at the top portion of the brush, and the central portion of the brush is bound by a suitable band 29, preferably of meta-l or hard plastic, the opposite or lower end o f the brush protruding through the reduced opening at the terminal end of the sleeve. Between the base of the frame 2| and the top of the brush 21 a washer or packing gland 30| is mounted snugly around the tube 23 and extending transversely of and snugly litting the inner wall of the conical sleeve at its greatest diameter centrally of its length, to provide against leakage of the writing fluid therepast except to the brush through the perforated tube 23. Y e

Within the frame 2l and comprising part oi the feed means is an ejector pin device which positively forces writing iluidinto the brush. In this connection it ywill be realized that the brush is a relatively thick fibrous body which when wetted with writing fluid will gradually absorb additional fluid to write continually for 'a long period of time. But when the brush is partially dry from lack of 4use for a, substantial period of time, it would take some considerable time for the brush to normally absorb the writing iluid thoroughly and evenly throughout `its body. Therefore, an ejector device is highly advantageous to positively eject writingfluid into the brush.

The ejector device comprises a pin 3l slidably mounted Within the frame 2l and having one end passing through the opening 2B of the frame and its opposite end loosely slidably enclosed within the tubular extension 23.L Centrally of the length of the pin there is r'attached a weight 32, which facilitates the shaking of the pin upwardly and downwardly. The weight 32 is of larger transverse diameter than the pin 3l and the Vopening 26 at the upper end of the frame 22 and also larger than theopening longitudinally through the tube 23, so the pin is thus contained within the fra-me and the weight also serves as a loosely seated gravity valve to partially close the upper end of the tube 23 when the brush is in writing. position with the brush held downwardly, whereas it opens the said upper end of tube 2-3 when the brush points in an upward direction, so that fluid suspended in the brush may trickle back into the reservoir when the brush is not being used. Obviously the weight 32 should be suiiiciently light so as not to completely seal the adjacent end opening of the tube 23 against a suflicient flow of writing fluid to the brush', and for the further reason that the weight must be slightly lifted from its seat responsive to suction of the flexible tube reservoir when filling the brush with writing iluid.

A supply of Writing fluid is supplied to the feed apparatus and the brush from a conventional impervious resilient tubular container 33 which is closed at one end and open at its opposite end. the open end having close leakproof resilient mounting on the upper end of the conical sleeve I9, so as to be a part of the feed means and brush unit.

A suitable pump 34 of any conventional and well-known type may be mounted through the side wall of the barrel l0 for deflating the tubular reservoir container and also for filling same by suction.

It is to be observed that if the brush member were a solid mass of fibers it would be very dinicult, and probably impossible, to provide a contaner tube having sufficient inherent suction to draw writing fluid through a thick mass of brush -bers in order to renew the supply of writing fluid in the' rservoir. However, with the tubular perforated extension member 23 embedded in the brush body, and with the slots 20 permitting writing iluid to freely enter the lower portion of sleeve I9, the relatively thin layer of brush bers around the perforated extension member permits the limited amount of suction toY efficiently suck the writing fluid through the layer of brush fibers and thus refill the supply tube. The perforations in the tubular extension also facilitate the even and uniform feedingv of the writing fluid throughout the brush. vUsually when the device is being used continuously there will be sufficient capillary attraction of writing uid to provide a constant and uniform flow to the brush, due to the looseness of fit between tube 23 and the end 3|` of the pin. However, it will be realized that in brush writing a substantially greater amount of the writing uid is used than in the usual writing with a metal pen point. If, therefore, thesupply of writing fluid to the brush should develop a tendency to fail, it is only necessary to shake the entire structure sharply up and down one or two times to rapidly reciprocate the pin 3| in the tubular `member and thereby force a jet of the writing fluid into the brush. e

The assembly of the parts is very simple. The frame 2l, including Its top disc 25 and tubular extension 23, are preferably vformed as anvelongated blank of material, the frame then being bent to the desired shape, leaving the slit 23a sufficiently open to receive therethrough the downward extension portion of the pin. 3l'. The upper end portion Aof the pin may then be inserted through the opening V26, the lowerV end of the pin inserted into the tubular portion through the slit, and the slit thereupon closed. The gasket 30 is then slipped over' the tubular member and the brush is wrapped around the tube and held at the top by the silk or thread wrapping 28 and intermediate: its length by the metal band 29. The feed members are then inserted as a unit into the conical sleeve i9 from its spread open lower end, until the 'converging side pieces 22 engage the upper conical portion. of the sleeve, the disc 25 serving to guide the side pieces to a seat so that the disc opening 26 is substantially axial of the sleeve, the packing gland 30 axially aligning the opposite end of the frame and the tube 23 in the sleeve. The slotted. sections -l9a', b', c, and d 'are then forced inwardly to firmly engage the brush band 29, the mounted brush being of a length to extend beyond the end 'o'f the enclosing slotted section of the taper of the sleeve, and thereby providea writing tuft at Aits free terminal end. Theinternally tapered nipple I5` is thenmoun-ted over the taper of the upper Having thus described the invention, what isL claimed as new and patentable is:

l. A fountain brush pen having a hollow elongated barrel closed at one end and having an opening at its opposite end, means for regulating flow of writing fluid to a brush, comprising a hollow sleeve mounted in the open end of the barrel and having a frusto-conically tapered portion extending beyond the open'end of the barrel, said extended portion being longitudinally slotted from the central portion of the sleeve towards its extended end, a brush mounted in said conically slotted portion, said brush having a free writing tuft extending from the extended open end of the sleeve, a supporting frame within the opposite end portion of the sleeve, said frame being open for passage of writing fluid therethrough, the frame having at one end a perforated disc guide member and at its opposite end a tubular perforated member extending axially into the brush, a pin reciprocally mounted in the frame and having one end slidable within said perforated tubular member and its opposite end portion slidable within said disc guide member, said pin having centrally thereof between the guide disc and the adjacent end of the perforated tubular member a portion of enlarged diameter providing a valve for opening and closing the adjacent end of the tubular member, a flexibly resilient reservoir suction tube within the barrel and having an open end connected to the end of the sleeve member in the barrel for supplying writing fluid to the flow regulating means, pump means mounted through the barrel wall and operable from the exterior thereof for compressing the resilient tube, and a packing gland snugly circumferential of the perforated tubular member and transversely of the maximum diameter of the sleeve, said packing gland being mounted between an inner end of the brush and the base of the supporting frame and adapted for sealing the brush from the reservoir tube except through the valve controlled end opening of said perforated tubular member.

2. In a fountain brush pen, an elongated hollow barrel providing a reservoir for writing fluid, said barrel being closed at one end and having an opening at its opposite end, a writing brush and feed means unit removably mounted in the said open end, said unit comprising a hollow tubular sleeve having one end mounted in the open end of the barrel and communicating with the reservoir, said sleeve having its opposite end portion frusto-conically tapered and extending beyond the open end of the barrel, said extended end portion having openings through its tapered side wall, a supporting frame within the sleeve having openings therethrough for flow of writing fluid therethrough, said frame having a guide opening at one end and having at its opposite end an axially elongated perforated tubular member having a perforated side wall extending into the extended tapered portion of the sleeve, a brush having one of its ends securely mounted circumferentially of said perforated tubular member within the tapered portion of the sleeve and having its opposite end extending free beyond said tapered sleeve to provide a writingtuft, a, pin freely reciprocable in the frame and having one end extending slidably into the perforated tubular member and its opposite end slidable in said guide opening of the frame, said pin having an enlarged portion intermediate its ends for selectively opening and closing the adjacent opening of the tubular member, and a packing gland circumferential of the perforated tube and interposed transversely of the tapered sleeve between the brush and the barrel reservoir wherebyk flow of writing fluid is prevented between the brush and reservoir. except through said perforated tubular member.

3. A fountain writing brush comprising a bar? rel closed at one end and having an internally tapered opening at its opposite end, a unitary feed means and brush mounted in said open end of the barrel and comprising a hollow tubular sleeve frusto-conically tapered from a central portion of maximum diameter towards each of the opposite ends, one tapered end portion of which is removably mounted in the tapered open end of the barrel, and the opposite tapered end portion is extended beyond the end of the barrel, a writing brush mounted in said extended terminal tapered end of the sleeve, the brush having a free tuft portion extending beyond the sleeve and barrel, an open supporting frame mounted Within the opposite end portion of the sleeve and providing passageway therethrough for writing fluid from the barrel to .the brush. said supporting frame having an axial perforation at one end and having an axial tubular member at its opposite end provided with a perforated side wall which extends into the brush, a freely slidable pin reciprocably mounted in the frame and having one end extending into .the tube within the brush, the opposite end of the pin being slidable in said axial perforation of the supporting frame; and a resilient suction reservoir mounted at the inner end of the sleeve for supplying writing fluid to the brush.

4. A device of the character described com,- prising a barrel closed at one end and having an opening at its opposite end, a writing brush and a feed means mounted in said open end of the barrel, said feed means including a hollow sleeve which has one end mounted in the open end of the barrel and the opposite end of which extends beyond the end of the barrel and is tapered frusto-conically from the central portion of the sleeve towards said extended end, said extended tapered end having openings through its tapered wall, the brush being mounted in said extended tapered end and being provided with a writing tuft extending beyond the end of the sleeve and barrel, an open supporting frame in the end portion of said sleeve within the barrel, said frame being provided at one end with a tubular member having a perforated side wall extending into the brush, the frame having at its opposite end a perforated guide member transversely of the sleeve, a pin reciprocably mounted in the frame and having' one end extending into the perforated tubular member of the guide frame and having its opposite end slidable in the perforation of the guide member, a reservoir in the barrel in communication with the inner end of the sleeve for supplying writing fluid to the brush, and a packing gland extending transversely of the sleeve from the perforated tubular member to the maximum diameter of the sleeve and providing a seal between the reservoir and the brush exoeptfthrou'gh said perforated tutu-- lar ineinber. F I

-5. A 'fountain writing brush comprising an elongated hollovrse'vor bael lSed at one end and yiifajvng an y111106116116113? tapered opening at its opposite one, Va unitary ieedmeans and brush mounted iin `Said. 'open end of the barrel and Comprising ya hol'lcvY sleeve fstoeoncallly tapered from a Vcentral portion of naxi'xnun diameter toward each of its opposite ends, one of said tapered end portions being knexnovably inserted in the `open end of the barrel and the other of said vtapered portions extending beyond the barrel and having a brush mounted therein, the brush having a Writing tuft lextending free beyond the lend of the barrel and vsaid extended end of :the sleeve, and said extended end portion of the sleeve having openings through'its side wail adjacent to the brush, a supporting frame inthe portion of Ysaid sleeve which is mounted in the barrel, the framebeing provided at said end with a perioratedguvde dise and hav ing at its opposite end an axially elongated perforated tubular member extending into the brush, a pin in the fra'rn reeiprooablywslidable axially in the perforated disc and perforated tubular member, and a ,paek'ng gland interposed in said slej'eve between the brsh and the reservoir, said Number .n Name Dane 147,394 Hitonins Feb. 10, 1874 566,550 Bell Aug. 25, 1596 n 579,135 oponer Mar'. '23, 1897 1,090,440 Waterman June 25, 1912 A1, 18^1=,S6 2 Semple May 23, 1916 1,526,093 Rookman Feb. 10, 1925 1,600,095 Casaciang' sept. 14, 1926 1,621,452 Rockman Mar. 15, 1927 '1,945,957 salmon Foo. 6, 1934 

